Delhi Police, FBI bust call centre scam which conned US citizens of $20 million

A joint operation by Delhi Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Interpol busted a call centre gang operating from India which scammed US citizens out of $20 million by impersonating a high-ranking officer from the US Drugs Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to Delhi Police. The team arrested six individuals. It includes four in India, one in Uganda, and one in Canada.

Arrested masterminds

The arrested individuals are Vatsal Mehta, Parth Armarkar, Deepak Arora, and Prashant Kumar. Mehta is believed to be the mastermind behind the operation, while Armarkar managed call centres in Uganda and India. The gang would impersonate a senior DEA officer named Uttam Dhillon and contact potential victims. 

HCS Dhaliwal, Special Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police Special Cell said, "The FBI informed us of Parth Armarkar, who is originally from Gujarat but has been living in Uganda for a long time. In Uganda, he ran call centres. US's DEA has had a senior officer, Uttam Dhillon. He (Armarkar) impersonated his identity and called the potential victims," as per media reports. 

Impersonation, scam technique

Their common approach involved informing the targets that child pornographic material had been confiscated at the US-Mexico border, claiming that their contact information was found during the investigation. 

To avoid serious legal consequences, the victims were coerced into paying a penalty.

The gang carefully selected targets, primarily wealthy individuals unlikely to report the scam to law enforcement agencies. 

Also Read | Microsoft outages in early June due to cyberattacks

Even a cursory internet search would verify the existence of a real Uttam Dhillon working as a DEA administrator, adding credibility to their impersonation. 

The gang conducted thorough research and targeted victims based on factors such as wealth, lack of technical knowledge, and loneliness.

Operational base

While the gang primarily operated from Uganda, they occasionally made calls from India. In one instance, Armarkar allegedly requested a target in India to pay the penalty with gold bars instead of money. 

Regardless of the victim's location within the United States, the gang ensured someone would collect the payment.

Also Read | Iran schoolgirls poisoning: State-sanctioned committee tries to downplay poisoning attacks, says report

The FBI has interviewed approximately 50 victims, and the total amount defrauded through this racket is estimated to be $20 million. 

Unlike minor scams involving a few hundred dollars, this operation targeted victims with sums exceeding $100,000 per person. The gang meticulously profiled their targets, scanning their social media accounts and exploiting vulnerabilities such as lack of technical expertise or feelings of isolation.

Watch | Russia's latest space agency mission: Raising a militia for the war in Ukraine?

Law enforcement authorities expect more victims to come forward. The gang used the dark web to identify individuals engaged in consuming child pornography, creating a sense of vulnerability among their targets, the official said. 

Believing that they were under investigation, victims sought to avoid trouble by making payments through cryptocurrencies or wire transfers.